lawton



Nov. 8, T92 7.

5. W. LAWTON PHOTOPLAY ORCHESTRAL DIRECTOR Fil y 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Nov. 8,

UNITED STATESJI'IPATENT owe- STANLEY LAWTONyOF NEW YORK; N.

-,PHOTOPLAY 'oacnnsraar. nmncron.

Application filed m a1, 1923. Serial No. 654,830.

This invention relates J to photoplay orchestral directors and 'its mam ObJBCt -IS to provide improve. .ap arat'us to'enablefan orchestra and its con actor to furnish the correct music to accompany the showing of a motion picture without watching the screen.

Another object of the invention is the provision in connection with a pluralit of visual signals, some of which are visible throughout. a wide ran e, to the entire orchestra for example, an others of which are visible throughout arestricted range, .to the conductor alone for instance, of apparatus including a number of signal actuators each capable of operating the varioussignalsxao cording to a predetermined program.

Another object is to provide a movablev member adapted to carry a direction sheet located in the range of vision of the conductor for example, signals to attract the attention of individuals or all the players and means for illuminating the d rection sheet, the signals and illuminators bein operated in'response to movement of the irection sheet. carrier. and signal actuators thereon. 7 V

Anotherobject is to provide an orchestral director together with means for operating the same. in synchronism with a motion picture rojecting machine and means. for

changlng the relative speed of the director apparatus and the machine. 7

Another object is to provide anorchestraljmechanism with1n reach of anoperator of I neither of the'projecting machines.

i erator with its casing and 'associa ,and operating circuits. 1 I Fig. 2s a front elevationof the carrier,

Fig. 1 is adiagram showing'inend elevation a" direction sheet carrier andtzignal o signals and easing shown in Fig. 1,v certain 7 parts oeing broken away.

circuits, and I Fig. 8 is a development one larger scale ofthe surface of the direction sheet carrycm one machine and ignas' Fig. 3 is a: detailed sectional perspective of the signal operating cam switch assembly.

Fig. 3=-is a bottom plan view of the switch Cam shown in Fig. 3;

Fi 4 is an enlarged perspective of a switc shown in Fig. 1,

Figifi is a front elevation of chronism" tl1erewith but at various relative speeds.

one mecha IllSlIl to be associated with a projecting-ma- .chine to operate a signal controller in syn- Fig. 6 is a right hand-end view of the I parts shown in Fig. 5. a

Fig. .7 is a diagram of the local signalling ing and signal operating drum.

The orchestral director is ordinarily. lo-' 'cated in the orchestra pit directly in front of theleader or director, while the project-. ing machines are located at a conslderable distance from the'pit and screen. .The sig- .nals. are also'located in the orchestra pit. I thereforeprovide within the range of vision of-the conductor a movable'member which is adapted to car a direction sheet-andsignal actuators, togeter with local means formovmg the dlrection sheet carrier. In thepro machine room -I provide mechanism 3 j ectin geare to the'film to control the meanslfor moving the direction sheet and signal actuators. Whena motion picture is first'run a blank direction sheet is put on the carrier,

preferably a drum, and the machine set in operation. The conductor watching the film ndicates. the necessary directions as to ex presslon, tempo,- names and-"selections or'f'any other memoranda which-will re uire theattention ofthe conductorduring t e presentw I tion of the fi-lm at a performance, and as he 7 marks the direction sheet he inserts signal actuators which may convenlently be in the form of pegs in a portion of the chartcarrying drum arranged to receive such actuators. When ,a performance isto be given the drum is again connected with the projecting ma chine andduring the performance the predetermined signals will be given at the propor time and the directionswill be visible to the conductor whose attention is attracted, to them by a special signal.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a drum 9 suitably mounted for rotation on a horizontal axis within a casing having a front wall 10, a rear wall 11, a top 12' and a cover 13. v 'The drumcarries a direction sheet 14 removably secured thereto and is provided, preferably at its opposite edges with one or more rows of holes 15, 16 adapted to receive signal actuating members such as pegs 17 Preferably I drive thedrum by a ste by step motion. As shown in Fig. 1 a magnet 18 actuates a lever carrying a pawl which advances a toothed ratchet l9 rotatably mounted on a suitable countershaft. The ratchet turns a pinion 20. mounted for rotation therewith, and the pinion meshing wlth a gear 20' on the drum shaftrotates the drum when magnet 18 is energized. In some cases it may be desirable to operate the drum with a continuous rather than an intermittent movement. The magnet or other drum rotating mechanism is controlled from one of 'the projecting machines-21 or 22 through mechanism within the auxiliary housing 23 of the machines which-under control of the moving film intermittently. completes an i electrical circuit through the magnet 18, the

source" of power 24, conductor 25, movable contact 26 and fixed' contact 27 of a swltch to be described, thence through the circult closer within housing 23, through fixed contact 28'and movable contact 29 of the switch, conductor 30, to the other endof the magnet coil. A local switch 31 may be conveniently mounted on a wall of the casing to disconnect magnet 18 from the projecting machine when desired.

With m improved apparatus the conductor ma ing u the direction sheet has only one,- row of l1oles into which he may insert signal actuating pegs during a single revolution of the drum 9. For example, the right hand end of-the drum may be arranged during the first revolution and the left hand end during the next revolution. This is quite an improvement over machinery in which the director has to choose from several rows'of holes while the drum is operating and positively prevents errors arising through a selection of the wrong row such as may easily occur when a choice is necessary. Y

, On the top' 12 of the drum casing Iprovide an opa ue housin 32 to hold a signal lamp 33 wh1ch is mad e visible to the conductor only through a front window 34. The top of housing 32 forms a convenient support for a lamp 35 arranged for un-' obstructed vision and thus to serve as a warning signal for the entire orchestra. A num ber of lenses 36 ma be suitably supported around lamp 35 to irect light rays emanating from said lamp so as to prevent the lamp from annoying the spectators and to permit the use of a lower powered lamp to give an adequately visible signal to the orc estra.

To operate the signal lamps in accordance with the desired program I pivot two switch operating cams 37, 38 between a pair of ears insulating strip 44..

39 secured to the lower face of aninsulating block 40 (Figs. 3 and 3). The block 40 is so positioned that the cams will be in peripheral alignment with each other and with the holes 15 at one end of the drum. Thus during the rotation of the drum, each g 17 will first ride under and then will let cam 37 drop and lift cam 38. The cams actuate insulating pins 37, 38 respectively to sequentially close pairs of contact springs. 41, 41 and 42, 42. The lower springs 41, 42 are mounted on the upper surface of the block 40, while the upper springs 41, 42 are suppqrted on a bus-bar 43 which is separated from the block 40 by a suitable The switch ock 40 is mounted for example on the inner surface of cover 13-near the top of drum 9 so that as a particular instruction passes into the position to be best viewed by the conductor, cam 37 will first be operated to flash the warnin light 35.

Cam 38 will later be actuated a ter an interval determined by the distance between the two cams and the speed of the drum to light the conductors cue light 33 and to close the circuit, for any desired interval, depending on the length of the cam face of a direction sheet illuminating lamp 45. This lamp is suitably positioned within the easing to illuminate the written instructions which are to be next carried out.

The size of drum 9 is regulated by the length of a single program, and the frequency of signalling intervals. It has been found that to provide sufiicient room to display allthe signals necessary for a performance of the usual length during one rotation of the direction sheet carrying drum requires altogether too big a drum and casing to be practical or useful in an orchestra pit where space is at a premium. I thereore arrange a drum of smaller diameter and divide its surface into two or more parts, each having space for a direction strip holesand sections of direction strip as maybe necessary to give the proper space for the directions. Means must therefore be provided to place the signals under the control of one set of signal actuators during one revolution of the drum and of adifferent set during another-revolution of the drum. Wherethe drum is divided into not more than two parts this may be conveniently and automatically accomplished by placing an ordinary three way snap switch 46 havand lift cam 37,

.nallythere are provided as manysets of throws the switch to its other ing an operating lever 47 in the path of movement of a pin 48 carried on one end of drum 9 (Fig. 1).

The operating circuits may then'be arranged as illustrated in Fig. 7 in which the switch 46 is shown connecting stationary contacts 49 and 50 and breaking the connection between stationary contacts 51 and 52. With this circuit arrangement it is obvious that during the first revolution of the drum cams 37 and 38 at the right hand end of the drum are' connected to the source of power 53 while cams 37 and 38 at the opposite end of the drum are disconnected from the source of power and will therefor have no effect on the signals. As each peg 17 is carried by drum 9 under cam 37 a circuit is completed from the negative pole of battery, contacts 49 and 50, springs 41*, 41, warning lamp 35-to the positive pole of battery. The lamp 35 is lighted in this circuit and 'warns' the entire orchestra to be ready for instructions. The peg 17 next passes under cam 38 and completes parallel circuits from negative battery, contacts 49, 50, springs 42 and 42 through the conductors cue light 33 and the lamp 45 which illuminates the right hand direction sheet. The conductor reads the directions and executes them the surface of cam 38 being made sufiiciently long to maintain the circuit through illuminating lamp 45 for the necessary time interval. At the end of the first revolution of the drum, pin 48 of drum 9 engages the three way switch operating lever 47 and osition in which contacts 49 and 50 are disconnected and contacts 51 and 52 connected. Obviously the operation during the second revolution is the-same as just described with the exception that it is the left hand end of drum 9 and cam switches 37 and 38' which control the operation of the signals and illuminating lamp 45' which illuminates only the left hand side of the direction sheet. When more than two direction sheets are carried on the drum counting relays may be substituted for the switch 46. I In order to render the instruction sheet Visible through cover 13 I may make said cover entirely of transparent material, but

preferably I provide at the proper place directions whic in said cover a transparent portion 54. To further aid inreading the directions I secure magnifying lenses 55 in position to magnify the portion of. the direction sheet directly beneath them and which is to be read by the conductor at any given time. From the foregoing description it is seen that my machine consumes energy in the signaling circuits only when the signals are lighted, that the signals are lighted only at the instant they are needed and that only are made visible to the conductor by illumiare to be executed at once nation. This arrangement avoids confusion 'film. and'which I have illustrated indetail in Figs. 5 and 6, 23 represents the housing previously referred to which goes on the projecting machine and .holds'the apparatus for controlling the drum magnet 18. Since not all photoplays require the same length oftimefor presentation without repetition, while projecting machines are run at a uniform speed, it is obvious that if the relative speed of the film and the signalling drum 9 is constant and sufficient space for direction sheets is provided on drum 9 to handle. a long program, a short program will not utilize 'all the available space on the sur-" face of drum 9. I therefore provide a circuit controller which while operating the drum synchronously with the film nevertheless ermits changes of the relative speed t ese two elements. Thus when the program is short the drum may be run faster and the interval between successive movements of the drum may be made shorter than is the case with along rogram. 56 is a shaft in the fprojecting mac ine which is geared to the 1m and therefore operates synchronously with the film. I mount a gear 57 on shaft 56- for rotation therewith and normally in mesh with a gear 58 carried by shaft 59 which also carries a worm 60. The worm meshes with a pinion 61 which turns a shaft 62 journaled 1n the casing 23. I mount,a conducting rotor 63 on shaft 62, and adjacent thereto on an insulating-bar 64 I mount two s'lidable brushes 65 and 66 either or both of which may be clamped in any desired position as by the thumb nut 67 Brush 65 is arranged to continuously engage the cylindrical conducting surface of rotor 63 while brush 66 only makes contact with the projections 68 which are circum ferentially disposed in different sections of the rotor. It is obvious that if brushes 65 and 66 are connected respectively to fixed contacts 27 and 28 of the switch previously described and shown in Fig. 1, each revolution of rotor 63 will complete the operating circuit for magnet 18 as many times as there are projections. 68 in the pathof brush 66. In the present instance I have shown 4 sets of pro'ections 68, one set consisting of a sin le pro ection, another of two. diametri--,

caly opposed projections, another of three spaced 120 apart and the set with which brush 66-is shown cooperating spaceda quarter of a revolution apart. This latter position of brush 66 'is that which would be used for the short programs and the shortis customary to employat least two projec- I est interval between successive steps of signalling drum 9. As the program becomes longer brush 66 may be moved to the right so as to slow down the operation of the signalling drum 9 as necessary. Obviously as many sets of projections with as many projections in" each set as desired may be provided in any particular case on the drum 63.

.In high class motion picture theatres it tion machines so as to permit the presentation of programs uninterrupted by removal and'replacement of a reel that my orchestra director may be used in such houses without interruption, I have provided a switch which may be located preferably on the ceiling of the projection room and which may be easily operated pulleys 70, 70'

ing machines 21 and 22 (Fig. l). The ends of cord 69 terminate in suitable handles 71,

71 which are conveniently located within the operators reach. 'lhus when the operator shuts down one machine and starts the other he need'only pull the handle 71' on the machine which he is starting in-order"to throw the switch from one extreme position to the other and so connect the circuits for magnet18 to therotor on the projecting ma chine which is in operation.

In Fig. 8 I have shown about half size a developmentmf part of the suriace'of the drum 9. carrying a director sheet. 14 divided.

into two sect1ons each of which has an ad- 'jacent row of holes 15 to receive signal actus 17. The time from the begin.-.

sting pe ning'of t e performance may ,be marked in any suitable units such as minutes either on the margin of the drum or as shown in the drawing it may be printed in advance at a convenient place such as the center of the direction sheet.

While I have shown but one embodiment of mg invention it is cbviousthat it is sus- .cept1 l e of various forms and that many changes may be made in the details of 'con struction without in any case- 'departin from the spirit of theinvention as define by the claims. For example, the signalling drum may. be divided into more than two parts, in which case additional sets of cam switches, actuating pe direction sheet ilirection sheets would luminating lamps and by a suitable switch baprovided. Moreover the orchestral director may be associated with any of film. lln order I In the form shown ll employ a combination wit one of a number of projecting machines. Obviously the space on the direction sheet is limited only by considerations of the sihe of the complete drum which may vary within wide limits.

It should also be noted that the circuitcontrolling rotor need not be of conducting material, as brushes and 66 might be arran ed in tandem, normally out of contact, whi e each projection 68 would make contact between the brushes in passing them and would thus be a contact maker within the intention of the claims.

lVhen the drum 9 is made of non-metallic material such as wood, I may surface the portions of the periphery which are to be provided with holes 15, 16, adapted to receive signal actuating members 17 with light metal strips, cilitating drilling of the holes and lengthening the life of the-drum.

A number .of improvements are claimed inmy applications as follows: 30,97 3 filed May 18, 1925, and 107,049, 107,050 and 107,051 filed- May '6, 1926.

I claim: I I

1. In a photoplay orchestral director the combination with a signal visible throughout a wide range, a signal visible throughout a restricted range, a signal to illuminate an instruction sheet, and signal energizing circuits, of a rotatable drum adapted to carry such a sheet, and projecting members in such as aluminum, thereby t'aperipheral alignment thereon and near one edge of the sheet, an energizing circuit for said wide range signal, a pivoted cam and responsive to passa ethereunder of one of sai projecting mem ers, a switch controlled bysaid pivoted cam to flash saidwide range slgnal, and a second pivoted cam and controllin means operated thereby for said restricte range signal and said illuminatin signal, said second cam being in peripherafi alignment with said first cam whereby rotation of said drum and projecting members will 0 erate said cams sequentially and means or rotatin said drum.

2. In a photoplay orchestral director the a signal light, an instruction illuminating light, a rotatable drum adapted to carry an instruction sheet to be illuminated by said li ht and having removable pegson its perip ery, of a switch com prising a pair of contact springs mounted one above the other on an insulating block, a second pair of springs on said block, two cams posi ioned to ride over said pegs and thereby sequentially close said pairs of conilluminating light will illuminate said in struction sheet for a definite interval each .time a peg passes'under said cam.

3. In a photoplay orchestral directorthev combination with a casing having walls and a'cover including a transparent portion, a signal lamp mounted outsidethe casing for unobstructed vision throughout a wide ran e, and a lamp mounted within the casing, o a rotatable drum mounted within the casing having a director chart and adapted to be viewed through said transparent cover, said casing lamp being arranged to illuminate such visible portion of the drum, and means carried by the drum for actuating said wide range signal light and said lamp according to a predetermined program.

4. A 'photoplay orchestral director drum having-sigma actuating pins on opposite edges thereof, and a directlon strip mounted on said drum between said pinsand having two columns of direction symbols correspondingtothe pins adjacent thereto.

rectionv symbols with spaced indicating marks indicating regular intervals of time.

6. A photoplay orchestral director comprising a cabinet, a signal actuating drum a direction strip carried by said drum, an external warning si al'lamp, an internal reading lamp arrange adjacent said direction strip, and signalling means actuated .by said drum for illuminating said warningv lamp and said reading lamp sequentially as the drum rotates.

STANLEY W. LAWTON.

mounted therein, 

